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Bakelite on the block in L.A.

Eighty lots of Bakelite and Lucite jewelry from a private collection will be auctioned off during the Period Art & Design sale at Bonhams Los Angeles on May 20. They show the full spectrum of Bakelite jewelry, from elegant and exotic to splashy, whimsical and cartoonish. (Note the elephant with “googly eyes!”)

Invented in the early 20th century, Bakelite was the first completely synthetic plastic. Cheap and pliable, this material could take on almost any color and shape (molded or carved), allowing a new creative freedom that revolutionized costume jewelry. Bakelite jewelry first caught on in the 1920s and remained popular through the Depression and WWII, evolving constantly with fashions of the day. Pieces like these serve as a time capsule, an example of affordable elegance and the spirit of fun that carried our ancestors through some dark days. Here are a few highlights from the sale:

(Photos courtesy of Bonhams)

Top to bottom:

Bakelite “bowtie” bangle, est. $1,000-1,500

Two Bakelite elephant brooches one with googly eye, one with metal enhancement, est. $500-700